One of the photography tips that we always hear is to shoot during the Golden Hour. This time of the day — sunrise or sunset — guarantee dramatic scenes bursting with vibrant colors, making it perfect for landscape photography. However, because of the high contrast of the scene, getting the right exposure tends to be challenging.

Today’s featured video addresses that problem and ensures perfectly exposed Golden Hour snaps, specifically of sunsets. Mark Newton of The School of Photography first explains why sunset photography is actually hard to get right. Because the sun is brighter than the rest of the scene, it’s either the sky looks too bright or the ground looks too dark. So, to help us get both the sky and the ground exposed properly, he shares four pro tips that work every time.

The most straightforward way is to use a neutral density graduated filter (known as an ND grad filter). It can be either a hard ND grad filter or a soft ND grad filter to darken down the sky in camera. This nifty effect makes ND grad filter an important tool in a landscape photographer’s arsenal.

Make sure to watch until the end to learn the rest of his tips for stunning sunset photography!

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